Reviews

it was not a love story

How shall I put it?
Everyone who has ever experienced grief in their life will relate to Mitchan narration. Main characters will take you through all the grief phases again. From the desire to spend a little bit more time together with your loved one who is not here anymore, when even one extra minute would be a the most desirable gift during your grieving journey; to being angry with the person who left, why they did it to you, how could they leave and let you be here all by yourself. But Mitchan got extremely lucky. He had a chance to experience parts of his grief, denial, huge love, hate together with the one who had to leave - Koichi. Does it make you jealous too?

Why we got so involved in such unrealistic story?
We all know - death is a final stop. But all of us secretly hope to be mistaken. And Eternal Yesterday gives us such opportunity to have a hope. Maybe one day it’s all gonna be a lie, and our loved ones will be here with us even though their hearts don’t work anymore. Eventually, it’s a beautiful metaphor - people you love aren’t truly dead until they are alive in your memory.

Name:
Eternal Yesterday - that’s how it feels to be disconnected from the real world after loosing the one you loved the most. Now you live only in the past when they were here with you. The smell of their perfume on the passing by stranger now feels like a knife directly in your heart. Their old t-shirt that you accidentally found in your wardrobe can bring all the memories back, and here you are sitting and reminiscing about old days on the floor in your bedroom again. You are re-living your yesterday, because tomorrow isn’t promising anymore without them.

Actors:
Fantastic fantastic fantastic cast. Both main actors did incredible job! Mitchan character grew and developed so well. And separate kudos for Koichi’s perspective in the end. All his actions and all his “sorry-s” made sense. Actors truly lived Mitchan’s and Koichi’s lifes.

Summary:
It was not a love story, it was one very special story about grief and precious time. Even though grief is inseparable from love.
I will definitely re-watch those series again and again. They are so heartbreaking, but yet so heartwarming. Our life is this special because it has an end, and Eternal Yesterday is our friendly reminder. Kiss, love, hug, express your feelings right now, because your perfect time may never come and unfortunately you won’t be given the same gift as Mitchan got.

And for all in grief - your pain will never go away, nor time will heal it. You will learn to co-exist with it and will learn to smile and love again. It was a beautiful message in the end.

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This is the most emotionally-driven review I have ever written. So much that I don't know what to say.

Five years back, I switched from watching dramas that have already aired to dramas that are, as we put it, "currently-airing". We've all had that transition at some point, and to me, a good currently-airing Korea drama has two potential flaws - one,  certain scenes are too boring so you skip over or skim over them; two, when you come back a week later to watch fresh episodes, you might not find the drama as appealing as you did last week. But once in a while, you find a drama like Wise Prison Life. A drama where you can't skip a single scene and cherish each and every moment. A drama where you come back to watch new episodes, dive right in and feel like you never left.

The script is so well-written. There is no strong intensity or urgency in the drama, but only in small doses. And the feels are so sweet, heartwarming and beautiful. I don't know how to describe it, but you'll understand if you have watched the Reply series. You would end up loving the smallest details and the entire journey would make you an emotional mess (but in a good way, thankfully).

Coming to characters, the writers have always been my favorites for the characters they develop. No wonder everyone wants to work with them! And Wise Prison Life has some of my favorite characters ever. And in one single drama! I loved every single character and their personal journeys as well as their shared journey. They are all so lovable and cool. I can't even pick a favorite! They're all so amazing and their friendship and their struggles make me cry even after finishing the drama. Kim Je Hyuk is such an inspiring character, not just because of his perseverance, but also because of his non-judgmental, humble personality. Joon Ho is the best friend one could have! I am so glad Jung Kyung Ho did not skip out on this one (let's face it, his role isn't as meaty as we would have all expected). He was perfect! His brother was hilarious! And OMG LOONY!!! And OMG LIT. PAENG!!! And...okay, I shall stop. Bottom line, all of them were so awesome, and I am overwhelmed.

Not only did this drama have a great OST, I also ended up discovering Kim Kwang Seok and his beautiful songs because of it! The rap intro OST was super lit. Mino and Yoon did a song for them too. I love them, they are one of my favorite musicians (and so is WINNER). In fact, I was really surprised when I saw Yoon in this, because I have had a huuuge crush on Yoon for a long time. But yes, this is not the time to talk about KPOP crushes! LOL. And Yoon did a very decent job here. The romance was perfectly incorporated in the story. It was not overbearing and neither was it lacking. I liked Krystal here and also the romantic interest of Jun Ho (who I'll not name because I have learned to keep my reviews spoiler-free. Mostly, LOL).

Overall, this drama is for everybody! It's a rare gem. Everyone must watch this!

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Thin line between love and hate.

In an uncannily similar vein with Maid's Revenge, this mini drama is just a chock full of the worst red flags. So if you are going to be triggered by a toxic alpha male and an intense but abusive love-hate relationship best steer clear of this drama. If however you can suspend moral outrage and present social norms for ~240 minutes then you are in for one helluva hot and wild ride.

Plot-wise, Circle of Love must be part of Youku's addictive toxic trilogy which rehashes the dark Republican era Romeo and Juliet revenge trope we saw in both Maid's Revenge and Bride's Revenge. Determined to avenge her family, Gu Meng ambushes her former fiancé, the formidable warlord Xiao Hongye. Her pathetic attack is foiled and she finds herself captured and conscripted as a maid in his household. She conveniently experiences memory loss, allowing herself to fall in love with her nemesis over and over again as he domineeringly uses and abuses her in the most thrilling... ahem..., I mean unacceptable, completely unacceptable ways. What I like about this version is that Gu Meng is smart and she has a plan. She can go toe to toe with Hongye and it is literally tit for tat in terms of these star-crossed lovers' ability to do terrible things to each other. The actors light up the screen with their intense, sensuous chemistry and do an amazing job showing us their gut wrenching internal struggle as they explore the thin line beween love and hate.

I could tell you that I watched this for the tight plot, which is actually well designed and has a nice twist. But that would be a lie. This is all about Li Jiulin's dark, complex and masculine good looks, his amorous smouldering gaze and his taut tanned chest. His steamy portrayal of the controlling, possessive, passionate, cruel and yet oddly vulnerable Hongye had me giggling and cringing at the same time. And the way he manhandles the inflamed and writhing Gu Meng who obviously loves to hate him had me chanting unconvincingly to myself "This is so not ok!!!". If there is any takeaway from this short, dark and titilating tale of love and hate it is that if your enemy is a smoking hot man beast, satiate yourself thoroughly before giving him a few bullets to remember you by. I found the ending a bit mean spirited but ultimately satisfying and appropriate.

This is a classic dark and thrilling bodice ripper romance that comes with all kinds of health warnings over outdated gender norms and inappropriate behavior. This is not the kind of thing to try at home but it can still be enjoyed vicariously with the air con switched on high and a nice glass of wine. Don't judge me for enjoying this enough to rate this 8.0/10.0; the best of the three in my opinion.

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As soon as I watched the first 2 episodes, I knew this was going to be one of my favourite dramas. I was hesitant about the ending because there have been too many dramas that start off well but slow down in the middle and may rush the ending, and no longer have the same feeling as the earlier episodes. This show surpassed my expectations, and maintained the warm, cosy feeling throughout.

PLOT:
Anyone looking for a fast-paced action packed drama, should look away now. This show really defines slice-of-life. I am sure everyone watching this drama could relate to one of the girls or even just a situation faced by the girls. I was able to relate to different situations and aspects of many of the girls personally and also have seen other friends/family facing similar situations:
- Jin Myungs hardships! I could especially relate to her feeling lost.
- Ji Wons non-existent dating life
- Friends who have faced similar situations as Ye Eun in their relationships/love life
- Eun Jae's hesitation, timidness
- Yi Na questioning herself and her decisions in the last 2 episodes or so
There have definitely other aspects. I just listed some that were especially relatable to me.
I was really glad that the plot focused on the girls the most and not the boys. It didn't take a detour. It was consistent. Each girl's individual storyline and character growth was moving, and the different episodes focused on different stories perfectly. The show shows us how the girls are important as individuals as well as their relationships with each other. It was very apt and moving that throughout, the relationship between the girls, them as a 5, was way way more important then their relationship with any of the guys/ or any one else tbh. They valued each other and nothing came in between them. It was very realistic in portraying their relationship, even though they lived together, and despite the closeness, each individual has their own personal hardships (defo last ep), and you don't share every single detail with everyone. Another point was that they didn't try to force the 5 girls being close to each other equally, it made perfect sense for some girls to be closer to each other then to others - this never undermined their bond as a 5 though. I could ramble on about this but I'll stop.

CAST/ACTING:
I don't have any complaints. I could imagine the actors as their characters perfectly. Never once did I doubt the acting, or imagine anyone else doing a better job. I was immersed in each and every character and that is partly due to the actors job (also story/director etc). The guys played their part really well, and very convincingly. I didn't think the acting was over the top or anything.

MUSIC:
The songs were so perfect! I have been replaying Sogyumo Acacia Band - Butterfly. There is something about the song that makes me just want to reminisce my youth and think about stuff (lol). It fitted the show so perfectly. It was subtle yet it did its job.

REWATCH VALUE:
I gave it a high rewatch value, because I'll probably rewatch this at some point - probably after university finishes and I miss my college days. Though I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. It has already made me feel so much, and taught me a few life lessons, I don't want to rewatch it and make it less impactful on 2nd watch. Its too soon now.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The highlight of this show is definitely the girls. The only negative I have is the shortness, but they sure packed a lot in 12 episodes. I know each girl's story didn't complete (in kdrama completeness - happily ever after sense), esp YE EUN at the end, but in true fashion of this drama and its genre: life isn't start and stop, its ongoing for them, they don;t all need to have a boyfiriend or everything figured out, because thats what life is for. They only showed us a snippet of their life and so we can't expect everything to end completely and perfectly.

[A lot of comments going around earlier about when Jin Myung will develop her backbone. Speaking from life experience, I know someone in similar situation who had and still has many many hardship, but keeps quite and deals with it all. It took her many many years before she finally came to realise that this is her life, and she needs to live it her way, that she need to speak up for herself and not put up with people who hurt her. So people don't just change overnight. It takes a lot of self-realisation and growth. And I'm glad the show touched on this the way it did, for everything to reach a limit before you finally break down]

Age of Youth was definitely one of the best written, acted, and directed kdrama I’ve seen so far this year (this and Signal). And I sincerely pray for a second season!

This is so long.

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what... a MASTERPIECE... just BRAVO!

“There’s a saying, ‘A mother can replace anything in this world. But nothing can replace a mother.'” – Mr. Son

In general, you know that a drama will be one of your all-time favorites as soon as you watch the first episode. I had this feeling with this drama. The pace is exactly what I love. In two episodes only, we already had a grasp of the situation. There wasn't one episode that was boring, and it's really hard to make an episode as thrilling as possible especially when it exceeds 1 hour.

First and foremost, let's talk about the story itself. It's mainly revolving around the utterly complicated relationship between a mother and her son. What I liked about this drama is that as the episodes go by, we felt like we grew up with them. We see Kangho's birth, his first steps, his traumas, his love-life, his true passion (drawing), his coldness, his cuteness, his kindness. It's really rare to have such a complete character. We basically know everything about him and it helps us understand him more and be more invested in the story. We also have a grasp of Youngsoon's story and her reasons behind her abusive behavior towards her son (I do not condone this type of behavior whatsoever and whatever the reasons may be) . Besides her bad acts, I still like her as a human being. She suffered way too much in her life. From losing her parents and brother, her husband, her pig farm, and almost losing her son, I'm really wondering how she was able to maintain a kind soul. She is a bad mother indeed, but she isn't the type to do it willingly and without any emotions. Kangho's accident was a way for her to redeem herself. "Please let me be a bad mother once again, Kangho", she said while teaching him how to eat after his accident. She is fully aware of her doings and isn't proud of it. When she hit Kangho's calves, she healed it while he was sleeping, when she ripped his drawing, she sticked it back. Kangho is fully aware of this and this is why he doesn't hate her this much.

“What I really wanted to avenge was your life they utterly destroyed, and the pain you felt living as a bad mother to your most beloved son.” – KangHo

However, what gives life to this drama are the supporting characters, especially the Jouri village. I really got a "Reply 1988" vibe from this, and funny thing is that the trio "Kangho-Mijoo-Samshik" is born in 1988! We had different families reunited in a tiny village growing together, bickering, laughing, crying, they truly rely on each other and love each other. Each character had its time to shine, even Tiger the dog and Lion the pig had their time to shine! I really like the fact that they put up the tiny-village-family-looking trope in this drama, it lower our heart rate and makes us laugh for a tiny while. I'm personally a big fan of dramas with a variety of genres, I don't remember liking many dramas sticking to a single genre. Hence, if you're like me, you will absolutely love this show. Thriller, mystery, family, life, romance, comedy, law, and i'm sure that I forgot other genres.

Let's get into the acting. Wow... just wow. Ra Miran, Lee Dohyun, Ahn Eunjin, Choi Moosung, Jung Woongin, Yoo Insoo... and the list goes on and on. The cast was perfectly chosen. Every single actor nailed their role, every single actor was able to depict the role and give life to it. A little thing I want to add, THE TWINS ARE SO CUTE. I wish them the best in their upcoming endeavours and hope they will become amazing actors in the far future! I hope this drama will get a lot of Baeksang nominations!

A good bad mother may not be perfect, but she does her best and sacrifices everything that she has just to see her child succeed in life. Taking a step back, Youngsoon loved Kangho to death and could do everything for him, her approach to show her love was wrong. I'm just glad that during that dark time for both Youngsoon and Kangho, Mijoo was able to be his ray of sunshine that made him believe that life wasn't that bad. Love can do wonders.

“One day, when everything ends and I can return to your side, I wish to lie in your arms and eat mung bean pancakes just as I did when I was a little boy.” – KangHo

"I wanted to become the best mom for you, but you only get one life and it was my first time being a mom, so I'm sorry that I wasnt good enough. I prayed that I'd become your mom once again, and if that ever happens I promised I'll do better" - Youngsoon

I hope that Kangho and Youngsoon will reunite one day and do as Kangho and Youngsoon wished, to eat his mom's pancakes and be pampered by her. After all, we will all always be little children to our parents.

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Be forewarned that I've just now dried my tears. Crap... This love story got me right where I live. Watching Su Jin and Cheol Su meet and fall in love is magical. She barrels right past his tough exterior and pieces his broken heart back together. She so steadfast in her love for him that he has no choice but to fall under her spell and fall in love right back.

This movie is so well done; well written, acted and directed. It's the full package. It's even shot beautifully. The cinematography and framing is lovely. If you watch movies for the technical aspects of a film this one will satisfy.

This is the story of a deep love and how you deal with the loss of that connection through a wasting disease. How you find hope within that love when the disease slowly and painfully takes away it's memory. Both Son Ye Jin and Jung Woo Sung blew me away with their acting.

I make no apologies for my mushy hearted review of and adoration for this film. Even though the circumstances are tragic and the actors make the tragedy very palpable, there is also a lot of happiness, the sweetness of young love and the bliss it can bring. The ending is bittersweet and carries a soft sort of hope. I'm torn about the re watch value. I know I'll watch it again someday because it's just that good.

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GLAD I CONTINUE TO WATCH TILL THE END!!

I get excited to know that one of my fave actress will be the female lead w/c is Xing Fei.I watch all her dramas and i can say all of them where good for me as i like light,sweet romcom dramas.As for the male lead i got curious of Hu Yitian since i havent watch any of his works. The 1-3 episode really caught my attention and made me look forward as to why the male lead acted that way towards Tang Xin..I got a lot of WHY's i really am happy i continue to watch until the end ( focus on the drama and avoid those reviews because we have different taste in liking a drama). There's no denial that Hu Yitian and Xing Fei's chemistry where one of the best ive seen ( ill call Xing Fei "Goddess of Handsome Male Leads")their chemistry is overflowing on and off screen. This drama is about "Healing each others psychological trauma". I love this drama because there is no annoying 2nd lead who chases the main leads,no break-ups, no annoying parents. This drama will teach you how to cope and treat sum1 whose having mental illness/trauma. Tang Xin and Shen Qing Yuan's love is the purest of all❤️ Both have so much respect to each other, help each other to overcome their fear and pushes one another to reach their dreams. I also love Tang Xin's brother who always support and protect her, Shen Qingyuans wingman,team mates and friends who helped him a lot on how to win over Tang Xin's love. The OST is really good too (i downloaded it already) the visuals are nice,the acting are on point.Thanks for giving me a lot of mixed emotions,i cried,giggle,laugh and feel the butterflies in my tummy with those sweet scenes😍 This drama & the couple become one of my favorite❤️❤️❤️ im really hoping for Hu Yitian to collab w/ Xing Fei again🙏 planning on rewatching🥰
Spread LOVE❤️
STAY SAFE🙏

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I started this film for two reasons; the cast and the fact that it's a sageuk. But this is no ordinary historical film with an outstanding cast.
The first thing I have to point out that this drama might not suit everybody's taste. It's TOO real, the bloodshed scenes, the battle scenes and the love scenes. If you can't get too real, don't start it.
Minors, skip this film.
So it's Goryeo –back before they tied their hair up, to our great advantage- and the king (Joo Jin Mo) is under the threat of losing his authority as an active king since Yuan –the empire in control- wants an heir to the throne. The king can't have an heir due to the fact that he's homosexual. (Again, if you cannot accept or respect homosexuality, don't start this). The king's lover and the one who's captured his heart for a long time is the Chief of the king's guards; Hong Lim (Zo In Sung).
Yeah I know!! When these are the two leads!!
With his country and throne on the line, the king resorts to one last option. He decides to make someone impregnate his wife (Song Ji Hyo). Only trusting in his loyal lover and friend, he gives Hong Lim the task. As Hong Lim and the queen make love trying to conceive, a new world opens up to them, and the tragedy starts.
Faced by betrayal, loneliness, abandoment, the king seeks revenge against everyone; first of all, against the one who meant the world to him, Hong Lim.
The story is too real it got me totally absorbed in the suffering of everyone. I couldn't not sympathise with everyone. The absurdity of life is inscribed on every scene. The sense of loss and how it empties us of our souls is engraved on the characters' forheads.
Regardless of the nudity and the sexually explicit scenes, the film is worth watching. It's too painfully awe-aspiring.
The cast did a great job here and I applaud every single person.
Well, I know that Song Joong Ki and No Min Woo are in the cast. Well they are there, almost with no dialgoue or screen time but it was so fun trying to spot them out of the other guards.

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THATS MORE LIKE IT!

A definite upgrade over the short series - I loved every minute of it!

Finally, a full length series for Yin and War. The chemistry is undeniable and there is significant improvement in acting .

Although the plot and story has a very controversial beginning, (if you read the book and watched the En of Love: Love Mechanics) it felt like the new showrunners listened to what the fans hated on the first show, and improved/removed them - 1) I liked that they removed the role of the social media from the first show; 2) i loved that they improved the moping brokenhearted Vee; and 3) they showed the soft side of Mark during his time apart with Vee (he was just too angry in the short series).

Although i felt bad that they have to change some of the support cast, the new cast did a good job, and i specially loved the addition of the parents. Make no mistake, this is a YinWar show and the maximum exposure they got is just what the show needed.

Is it just me or is War giving a very similar Singto vibe? I loved it!

Overall, i give it a 9, its probably one of the best BL shows of 2022.

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Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim is a thought provoking and quirky drama that thrives off the strong character development and heart-pulling patient cases that are seamlessly interwoven with the main characters' own storylines.

I should say that I love medical dramas though. As an aspiring doctor, RDTK really made me think about the responsibilities of a doctor that extend past the operation room.
I began to watch RDTK because of Seo Hyun Jin but I stayed for Han Seok Kyu. Dr.Kim's complexity and romantic ideals of a character pulled me in, made me curious, and is essentially the anchor of the whole show.

What constitutes as a 'good' doctor? Essentially, the story revolves around that question that seems to have a simple answer; however, there's no real right or wrong answer and everyone has their own definition of a 'good' doctor. Philosophies and ideologies clash and it's just utterly fascinating to watch as morals are questioned and consciences are tested in the face of moral dilemmas.

Asides from the philosophical questions, hospital politics, and the emotional patient stories, the romance also holds its own in this already plot packed drama. The romance, while not at the forefront of the show, is a slow burn that keeps you wanting more, and when it finally happens, it is so satisfying. Gotta love the slow burns that are worth waiting for.

The whole cast of Doldam hospital seems like a big family. Side storylines are interesting, bromances are fun, and the verbal fights are satisfying.

Even if you don't like medical dramas, please don't pass up on this drama. RDTK is a a human drama, about human emotions, actions, and consequences. It poses interesting questions about society and humanity. I really enjoyed this unique drama that is honestly extremely different from other dramas I've watched before. If anything, at least give RDTK a try to see if it's up your alley!

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Overall this was a very interesting drama. Never would I have thought that someone would end up making a medical mystery drama that would be this well written. The concept really drew me in. One thing that I really enjoyed about this show was that it was never predictable. I never knew what was going to happen next in Beautiful Mind. It was really a shame that this show ended up airing at the same time as Doctors. As the ratings ended up being lower than Doctors. I believe 2 episodes were cut from this series as a result of low ratings. It went from being 16 episodes to 14 episodes. This caused the pacing at the very end of the story to be a fast-paced, but it was still well written nonetheless. One of the few Korean dramas that I wished was a few episodes longer.

Story: [9/10] I really liked the concept of a medical mystery. As it really adds another layer to what may be a typical medical show. You are seeing the doctors take care of patients in a stressful situation as in most other medical dramas. At the same time you have a group of murders going on that continues to keep you curious. These murders add a layer of complexity to the drama. The surgeries and the mystery together pretty much keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of the drama. The main characters are also very well written. The characters do not stay flat and act the same the whole time. The characters learn from the events in the series and some of them grow more as a person. I didn't give this show a 10 for two reasons. The first is because the shows pace ended up being sped up because of 2 episodes getting axed. I feel like the extra episodes could have answered a lot more questions and made the show and the pacing better. The second reason is because I feel like the ending was slightly flat. The show had so much action that each and every single episode (okay maybe not every single one) seemed like the climax. However at the same time, it also made me feel like the ending didn't have much as an impact as I would see in other endings. Hence I couldn't really give it a 10 for the story. Of course that's just my own opinion though. Although I did give the show a 9 for being very action-packed and having good character development.

Acting/Cast: [8.5/10] There's nothing much that I can say about the acting and cast. For the most part no one really stood out to me other the Dr. Lee Yeong Oh. I thought that his acting was really good and that he portrayed his character really well.

Music: [8.5/10] Music is pretty likable. It uses an array of different tunes for different situations.

Overall I recommend you watch the series. This season was very good in general. Beautiful Mind was definitely the dark horse of this season and it ended up proving that it was worth my time. It was a 14 hour well spent :)! I suggest you watch it too if you haven't already.

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the Best Song from my Crush

This will now rank in the top 3 of my most favorite KBL drama, ever.

First of all, id like to thank the heavens for gracing us with this drama in a Netflix-style one-time drop of 8 episodes. I think I would have felt a lot differently had I seen this one or 2 episode per week. The bitch watching, i mean the binge watching has helped me cope with my week.

Second, its rare to see a Korean BL series that is not long but doesnt feel rushed. This one has the perfect pacing and rightly focused on the main characters, without the unnecessary fillers. The creators have amply contained the storyline and used what little time they have in progressing the story.

Third, my goodness the soundtrack is amazing. Is that the real voice of Jang Do Yoon cause he sounds divine? The first main song "Letter of Apology" and the last song "Second Wind" are both emotional and perfectly sung!

Fourth, and I don't know if I still need to mention this, but the two main leads made me fall in love with their characters. They are both really pleasant to look at and believable - even when they were playing young students to the time that they were living together chasing their dreams, I cant even believe that both actors are already in their late 20s.

Understandably, the show isn't perfect.

I specially find it unbelievable that the guitar teacher became a newly-debuted idol at his age - he looks a bit old to be honest. However i did appreciate the series'way of tying his storyline without him being too evil.

I also noticed how super physically touchy the male characters around Han Ba Ram -sometimes to an uncofortable degree. It happened both with the teacher and then with Im Han Tae. 'One would feel and see they were clearly leading him on. I would have misinterpreted those moves myself if Im around these 2 guys. But when Ba Ram told them about his feelings both of them acted surprised - and I really found it perplexing in Han Tae's case since I thought he himself was inloved with Baram eversince episode 1.

However, despite its flaws, I still find myself pining for the leads and cheered for the triumph of their love story. For me, the strongest part of the whole series is when Ba Ram and Han Tae were just hanging out together. Great easy watch for a day (or two) and will relatively be easy to re-watch on a rainy day. Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10.

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A deeply flawed drama with absolutely phenomenal acting, gorgeous sets, elaborate costumes, layered characters bogged down by inconsistent pacing, questionable editing and unsatisfying scripting, especially towards the end. I love this drama a hell lot, followed it from its initial broadcast which I've never done for cdramas. After watching the making of documentaries, I deeply appreciated what this team tried to do, but its flaws are also so apparent and hard to overcome that I don't know how to recommend this to anyone, but I still want to so I'm going to try.

The plot is actually about princes' power struggle with sprinkles of romance, the focus is on Ning Yi, Feng Zhiwei plays second fiddle to him, do not come in looking for romance, you will probably be disappointed. Their interactions were actually pretty jarring compared to the rest of drama due to its different tone. It was super restrained, there were no real kiss here, I'm serious! There were just scenes hotter and cuter than kisses. I do like what's shown of their romance, it's nice to have an OTP who understand each other on a fundamental level and have similar ambitions, even if they disagree when it comes to methods. It meant they don't really go through misunderstandings, until the drama crashed and burned in the last 10 episodes, but I digress. It's lovely to have a drama that cared so much about details and trusted the audience enough to interpret things that's half said, the schemes were fun since everyone, including multiple antagonists who were smart, so it was always multiple parties trying to further their own agenda and screw up lead to unexpected circumstances. The protagonists weren't infallible either, they disagreed and sometimes they end up doing things that would seem unwise to the audience. This drama doesn't really play by the books.

The thing is, the first half of the show, up to ep 45 is fairly steady, packed with lots of information in each episodes. Then Minhai arc got shaved off probably 75% because of NRTA*, which ugh but can't be helped, we can make out important things that happened (it's all in the dialogues) but that's a pretty bad viewing experience. It returned to normal with some explosive acting, Jinshi arc was relatively simple because scriptwriters couldn't really touch it but I think it was mostly fine, Dayue arc got probably 30% cut, but it was mostly still there. Then came the last arc, which I'll just say features a lot of sudden appearance, sudden deaths, sudden misunderstandings (which will get cleared up, no worries! but it sure as hell shouldn't have happened) I suspect that the ending was a very rushed rewrite (which would explain all the plot holes) and the pacing was 3x of the earlier episodes, making everyone who stuck around for 60 episodes fairly confused. The events and character motivations do make sense if you analyse it and fill in the gaps, but they needed more lead up, foreshadowing and detailing that it was so good at before. Never have I, after watching 70 episodes, wanted to have more episodes so the story wouldn't feel so jarring. I honestly think when they edited it, they should have repaced the drama, if latter arcs were cut due to main plot not popping out, this is NOT how you pop it out.

Ning Yi, as a protagonist is one of most layered character I've seen. He is a gifted manipulator, but also someone who care deeply for people close to him because of his childhood. He can be ruthless to his brothers. childish and awkward with Zhiwei, utterly broken when it comes to his mum. He deeply wants a father-son relationship with the emperor but they sort of can't, as being an emperor means being on guard even against your son. He's pretty morally grey, but some of his lines were dubbed over due to NRTA (most notably, end of crown prince arc and the ending). Chen Kun did an astounding job playing Ning Yi, I was quite bemused by his overacting in the first episode. which I know can put off people, it's just Ning Yi likes to be on the edge and taunt people. I was also not a huge fan of his long hair look, but it did signify Ning Yi's carefree attitude. Chen Kun can definitely overact at times, rather like stage acting, but he's also very good at microexpressions and small gestures that just make some scenes so much more real.

Feng Zhiwei is the female lead that I love through and through, even if I'm somewhat disappointed with how they wrote her. To make her more realistic (compared to how OP she was in novel), she was made into a smart but bit naive and impulsive girl who gets dragged into power struggle for the throne and had to grow. That's fine, except Minhai arc was basically her time to show her abilities is equal to Ning Yi got cut (because the main plot doesn't pop? political reasons? idk). Jinshi and Dayue both had limited time and significant changes, so while she wasn't helpless, she was still partially damseled to prop up Ning Yi more, who honestly doesn't need more focus. I know the romance is linked to the plot but it's just badly plotted. I do appreciate that FZW is more straightforward, so she tends to lead the romance. I LOVED Ni Ni who portrayed her, she's gorgeous as a man AND a woman, and neither looked jarring. She had some of the best crying scenes I've seen and had wonderful chemistry with her co-actors. I shipped the otp so hard and was deep in otp hell for a long time after this drama.

My other favourite character is probably the emperor, who was the smartest I've seen in recent years. Emperors in these kind of dramas are usually overly suspicious or useless, and he's neither. He's not a good father or even a good husband, and I'm pretty sure he's sort of an antagonist but that doesn't stop him from being a complicated person. Thanks Ni Do Hong, I'd watch all your scenes all day long. Headmaster Xin had great chemistry with Ning Yi, they shared the same goal but had very different methods and priorities making their scenes a blast to watch. The various princes all had their shining moments too!

It's such a shame most of the people around FZW's characterisations weren't as layered. Her mum was rather conflicted between reviving the kingdom and having her live peacefully, but she was one of the big reason the OTP didn't proceed as well so it's somewhat hard to like her. Her brother is kind of an idiot but had a few nice scenes that I really liked. Gu Nanyi had awesome lines and decent character development, but we weren't show how that happened. I'm actively mad about how they cut out Hua Qiong, who was originally promoted as a main character, and reduced to essentially cameos. Her scenes were largely in Minhai arc, she appeared later and played pivotal role as a best friend and in a scheme then was promptly written out of the story, excuse me?! There wasn't even mourning for her? Helian Zheng actively seemed like he was in a different drama just because of his behaviour and he literally couldn't follow along what Zhiwei is thinking, good as comic relief I guess. I suppose he could also be used as a contrast against Ning Yi, but they also hastily wrote him out of the plot.

Honestly, I think they were too ambitious when they wanted to fuse power struggle + romance, where the OTP can go head to head, they lost their balance. The romance and anything involving the female lead had noticeably more plot holes and was weaker. They also tried to make it more realistic but still fuse in book characters, I love them a lot and would have liked to see a realistic version of them, but I'm in the minority. They should have cut their loses and fused more characters or plot lines. Jinshi is honestly not really needed as an arc, FZW could have gone elsewhere. If it was for uniting the kingdoms, the drama didn't really accomplish that either (whereas the novel managed to establish an alliance there). Dayue had very nice characterisation moments, but it wasn't plotted that well, they could have written other scenes to get the idea across.

I must emphasis this was recorded live while filming, which is super rare in recent years in historical cdramas due to noise pollution, accents and actors' acting. The drama usually have ambience sounds as bgm, and only play its insert songs during important moments. The sets and costumes are exquisite, I did spent fair amount of time just staring at them. I loved the use of go/weiqi, the tea pouring, the small differences in manners in different countries. I'm a little mixed about the dialogue, I have been taken out of the drama by some rather modern words, but it also quote a lot of classical Chinese, some rather cleverly (like when FZW became imperial adviser) , some I had to look up but got its meanings through context, some were just plain wrong. I appreciate the attempt but they could definitely have made it flow better, rather than feeling like they just dropped it into the drama to look well studied.

Despite all of its issues, I still loved this a lot and will probably rewatch it just for acting and characterisation, which is something I basically never do, as someone who largely care about plot. I deeply wish the female characters played bigger roles as they had likely intended before, but even as is, I still love them because they are different and varied, and they are allowed to be flawed, to make mistakes, just as male characters are. I would love to see more effort in fusing more serious elements with romance because that's much closer to life than just fluffy fun times or only serious business time.

P.S: *NRTA is the government agency that all cdramas have to go through, this drama went through it at least twice and they also had people come in half way through filming to check on their progress, and part of the script were rewritten on set. Historical dramas, especially ones that go on prime time slot (this one is, the only other one this year is Ashes of Love) are subjected to stricter scrutinisation, this year have gotten even tighter. Main characters can't be overly dark which is why some of Ning Yi (and maybe Zhiwei?)'s lines were dubbed over.

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I'm going to be honest, Mad Dog could be a boring show for a lot of people. Why? Because even though in its core, it was a typical crime drama with raging power politics and a band of underdogs trying to uncover the truth, it put a unique spin on the genre.

The concept of the drama was based on Insurance crime and for those who don't know much about it, it might as well be a little complicated to follow. The scenes where all the schemes and cases were explained were dialogue heavy with some technical terms and for watchers who want their shows easy to digest, it could be a bit of a problem.

That's not the case with me though. I don't like my dramas to hand me everything on a platter. I want to be able to think about the events taking place and then have this lightbulb moment of 'Oh, so this was what happened.' I like it when a show makes me replay some scenes to catch a dialogue I missed because this means that I care and a drama has to be good if it makes me care.

I'm not gonna say Mad Dog was perfect. It had some flaws here and there, some plot-holes, some illogical things but when you looked at it as a bigger picture you saw that actually yes, this could've happened in real life too. It wasn't far-fetched from reality and you realized that the plot was indeed very well-connected and backed up by smart characters with brilliant planning who were always trying to one-up each other.

While the show started off slow, focusing more on introducing all the characters and their dilemmas, once it hit the 9th episode mark- it skyrocketed and the real action came out in play.

However, the strength of the show wasn't its plot, rather it was the character development. This was a story about how a team (Mad Dog) of lovable individuals each with their own unique talents joined hands with a lone wolf, scam artist (Kim Min Joon) and how together they grew into one tight knit group that was closer than family.

Every role was beautifully constructed and the moment I felt that a character wasn't getting much attention, the script changed its course and swallowed down all my complaints. Besides our amazing team, there were some very endearing side characters (Nurse Sem and Manager Park) along with intriguing and well-portrayed antagonists that helped the show retain its charisma.

Yoo Ji Tae is an actor that emotes with his eyes and Mr. Choi with his vengeful looks and determined actions gave me so much life, especially because YJT's acting was exceptionally brilliant towards the end. Jo Jae Yun (my all time favorite supporting actor) once again brought forth a memorable character. Cheetah shi was so cute with his matchmaking skills, a softie heart and the gangster ways. Kim Hye Sung with his adorable Pentium; a genius and kind-hearted boy, stole many hearts and Ryu Hwa Young gave life to the badass, headstrong but caring Jang Ha Ri that you couldn't help but adore.

But, despite the presence of the more experienced and brilliant cast members, Woo Do Hwan once again snatched all the spotlights. He should honestly be named 'show-stealer' because whenever he takes a role he owns it so completely that other people are given a deadly run for their money.

Try as I might, I couldn't believe this was just the second show he's starred in because he's just too fucking good. He's the kind of artist, I can imagine in every possible role because of his humongous talent and versatile personality. Without bias, I can say that despite being a newbie he's one of the best actors in dramaworld. I love the way he walks, his charming quirks, his beautiful smile and his amazing voice. (Now, is where the bias is speaking.)

So there was no surprise in the fact that Woo Do Hwan's Kim Min Joo slayed me completely and then went for more. Kim Min Joo with his German adlibs, sneaky personality and fearless swag was truly one of a kind. He was incredibily smart with a talent in annoying people to death. He loved pulling everyone's leg, all the while calmly laughing while doing so. He was a bit arrogant, definitely not one to mess with but ultimately, a huge sweetheart. I loved how realistic his character was. He didn't develop magical super powers when people came to kill him (and they came a lot) nope, he innocently got beaten every time instead, was a huge scaredy cat and couldn't even throw a punch properly. And I loved that. The highlight of the show was seeing him warm up to other people and letting go of his trust issues and finally being given a family that he could rely upon.

The dynamics within the Mad Dog team (Kim Min Joon included) were simply everything. The way they had each other's back was extremely heart touching. These people had so much love for each other that at one point, I was shipping every-one with everyone. I loved their little missions, their secretive and conspiring shared glances, their smart strategies and their protectiveness of one another, so much.

And last but not the least: The romance. Even though it was done as a sub-plot only, it was so so good. Kim Min Joon and Jang Ha Ri were a match made in heaven. The small moments they had with each other were so incredibily sweet and their chemistry was fire. The minor touch of romance in this show was far well-done than some of the wholesome love stories I have seen. I think I've never wished for a kiss scene before in my entire life. But ah, we can't have it all now can we?

While Mad Dog did have some great 'Oh shit, what's going to happen next' scenes, it wasn't a show centered on 'the bext big thing'. The beauty of the show was in the small, intimate moments between the characters, the way they grew on each other and the way they evolved together and as individuals.

If you let it, Mad Dog will make you feel. It will touch your heart deeply and make you feel joy, sadness and love. So much love.

I really enjoyed the OST of the show. From NiiHwa's popping and catchy track to Eric Nam's soulful ballad- the sound track did great things for the mood of the drama.

I loved the cast and their antics, so much so, that I really didn't have the heart to let them go till the very end. Although the ending was a little bit rushed, it left me with a wide smile and some heartfelt happy tears.

So while Mad Dog might not be everybody's cup of tea, it was a steaming mug of delicious cappuccino for me.

Definitely one of the better shows of 2017 and one I surely recommend.

Enjoy!

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The Legend of Hei Feng-Bai Xi

Truth be told, Who Rules The World (WRTW) wasn’t on the top of my list for highly anticipated dramas for 2022. But you know what? It turned out to be one of the most entertaining dramas I’ve seen for the year. Certain characters in the show even made their way into my list of all-time favourite C-historical characters as well. I’m pleased to say that WRTW has not disappointed and in fact went beyond any initial expectation I may have had going into it.

WRTW is equal parts traditional wuxia, grandiose palace politics, epic warfare and romantic love that are interwoven seamlessly to create an immersive tapestry of a vivid jianghu that transcends the boundaries of the 7 kingdoms. It revolves around the relationship between two renowned martial artists, Hei Feng Xi and Bai Feng Xi, as they navigate the treacherous world of ancient politics and pugilistic rivalries teeming with characters who are hell bent on ruling the world.

The story is based on the bestselling 2007 novel Qie Shi Tian Xia (且试天下) aka Let’s Try the World which was written by prolific period-romance novelist, Qing Ling Yue (倾泠月). The production team comprises directors Yin Tao (Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry, Under the Power), Yu Yonggang (Novoland: Pearl Eclipse) as well as action director/ choreographer Shi Zhanli (The Promise of Chang’an, Under the Power, Listening Snow Tower, Love and Redemption, The Legend of White Snake). Principal photography took place at Hengdian World Studios from February to June 2021. Interestingly this drama was released concurrently on WeTV international and Netflix for global audiences.

A total of 5 songs are listed in the soundtrack of the production. Liu Yuning sings the inspiring opening theme while Lai Meiyun and Tan Wei Wei contribute moving love ballads.

无双 Unparalleled – 刘宇宁 Liu YuNing
风息 Breath Of Wind – 胡彦斌 / 叶炫清 Hu YanBin / Ye XuanQing
一梦浮生 Dreams Come True – 汪苏泷 Silence Wang
孤注 Gu Zhu – 谭维维 Tan Wei Wei
如梦 Like A Dream – 赖美云 Lai MeiYun

This production has been plagued by some controversies in that the main director was purported to have left the project about halfway through filming for reasons that were not made known publicly. Additionally certain elements of the plot, whether the screenplay or the source material itself, had been accused of plagiarism. Likewise some scenes were cited to be reminiscent of other dramas. Having not read the source material for this drama, or most other dramas for that matter, and without seeing particular shows from which their scenes had been reputedly copied, fortunately my personal viewing enjoyment was not affected by the allegations in any way.

What I Liked

The elements of wuxia, politics and warfare are beautifully crafted into a memorable tale of chivalry, heroism and love amidst an extensively conceived worldbuilding of a fictional universe. Perhaps WRTW does not reach the quality levels of Nirvana in Fire, the gold standard in this multigenre, but it certainly comes close. How often do we come across productions that attempt to cover such an extensive scope without faltering miserably or, at the very least, evoke some form of endearing connection and entertainment value?

In terms of wuxia, this is one of the best for me. The variety of martial arts prowess on display as well as depiction of the jianghu with its associated clans, sects, dark arts and, of course, the chivalric values of brotherhood, heroism, and valour are all expertly embedded into this pugilistic premise. Absolutely no complaints from me in this department.

While initially lacking and slow-moving due to the uneven pacing and multitude of character introductions, the politics of the palace and the world began to exert more control over the narrative up until the finale. This is especially so once the main players have been established and viewers are able to focus exclusively on their schemes and machinations that eventually culminate in all-out confrontations and large scale warfare among them. In some ways, the overall concept and worldbuilding remind me somewhat of Game of Thrones with the premise based on various factions fighting for supremacy and dominion over the world.

Ultimately the one aspect of the story that impresses me the most is the romance. One of the most wholesome and charming love stories that I’ve ever come across in a C-historical. It helps immensely that both leads are extremely likeable both in real life and in the depiction of their respective characters here. No silly misunderstandings, childish petulance, toxic vibes whatsoever. Just as it should be between two heroic jianghu protagonists amidst countless adorable and lovely moments indeed.

As far as the technical execution is concerned, for me the positive takeaways would be the production design which maximises the gorgeous features of Hengdian World Studios in both the opulent indoor sets and lush greenery of the outdoor shooting scenes. Cinematography, choreography and special effects are quite decent, for the most part. I’m thankful that the fight scenes in particular are presented on point without the jittery camerawork and overreliance on slow-motion, repeat cuts or fast cut editing.

The martial arts choreography is simply stunning and showcases some of the most spectacular wire-works (wire-fu) in recent memory. It might appear a bit much to some but personally I love it. Also worth mentioning is the battle scenes between large armies towards the tail end of the show. Despite being mostly CGI, the end result is reasonably rendered and, most importantly, not substituted with animation or even skipped over but is shown in its entirety.

With regards to the cast and their respective characterizations, WRTW wouldn’t be the same without the leads, Yang Yang and Zhao Lu Si. The stellar supporting cast particularly Xuan Lu, Lai Yi, Zhang Feng Yi, Lee Wai Han, Zong Feng Yan and Wang De Shun provide a memorable account of themselves in making this production work as well.

I know that Yang Yang has drawn some flak for his performances in the past but having seen him in the recently concluded Glory of the Special Forces where he delivered possibly his best work to-date, I think he deserves more credit than he’s given. The role of Hei Feng Xi / Feng Lan Xi suits him very much indeed. He has this ability to blend intensity and seriousness with warmth and tenderness as well as a dash of charm and sophistication, which adds depth to his version of the brooding, intelligent and lonely hero of this story.

The same goes for Zhao Lu Si who, despite her expertise in rom-coms, is actually quite versatile and here she showcases some range as well as a more serious side. She still has that comedic timing but as the carefree Bai Feng Xi and the more regal Feng Xi Yun, we get to experience different facets to her characters. The biggest draw in the show is obviously their romance. Whether as royalty or jianghu pugilists, the chemistry between the two absolutely sizzles to set the screen aflame. I cannot imagine anyone else embodying the roles of “Hei Feng- Bai Xi of the rivers and lakes” as well as they have done.

Amongst the supporting characters, my personal favourite include Xuan Lu’s Feng Qi Wu who shares a strong bond with Bai Feng Xi where at one point I was actually shipping them as a lovable GL pairing. It’s refreshing to observe a healthy friendship between two female characters for a change instead of the usual destructive rivalry for affections. Lai Yi’s Huang Chao is another strong character that’s worthy of mention. His connection to the leads prove intriguing where despite no love lost between them, they continue to regard one another with mutual admiration and respect.

What Fell Short

I think the transition of directors midway through production possibly caused a discernible change in the quality of direction and editing during the second half of the show. This in turn affected the flow of the storytelling because certain scenes feel somewhat disconnected while the last 8 or so episodes are a little rushed. That said, most C-historicals tend to sprint towards the finishing line with a flurry of events and activities within the final few episodes, although this could be attributed to censorship-induced post-production editing.

For obvious reasons, most of the focus is on Yong-zhou and Qing-zhou, two of the 7 kingdoms in the story. There are some highlights of Ji-zhou and You-zhou, and the initial spotlight on Dong Empire, the ruling kingdom and the seat of power itself. I would have liked to see more backstory or development in the lesser mentioned kingdoms as well as the other mysterious sects of the jianghu. At 40 episodes, it’s near impossible to fit everything and everyone, which is unfortunate as some of the minor side stories and subplots actually appear interesting and thus worth exploring.

Because of the rushed nature of the final arc, the potential for the main villain’s origins and motivations are largely glossed over in favour of the ultimate showdown. I think this dimension of the antagonist’s profile deserves at least a couple of episodes to allow the gravity of his villainy to sink in with viewers.

The FL’s identity reveal is a bit of a letdown personally for me. It should have been more sensational and shocking to everyone involved but it turned out to be a lowkey affair after all.

I feel the need to rant on one of the martial arts clans, the Tianshuang Sect. I’m not sure how they are written in the original novel or if it is meant to be a running joke but the members of that sect, along with their leader/elder/founder, are quite laughable indeed. Without spoiling, let’s just say that these folks are better off managing a zen spa or soup kitchen rather than actively attempting to partake in conspiratorial activities.

Final Thoughts

WRTW ranks amongst the better recent releases of C-historicals and wuxia productions. It hasn’t reached the gold standard that is NiF but is somewhere slightly lower, perhaps at a similar level to The Long Ballad. Objectively it’s an 8.5 but for the sheer enjoyment factor and memorable performances of the leads, I’m bumping this up to 9. This is recommended viewing for fans of the genre.

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